Despite the consensus that nicotine is the compound responsible for the addictive properties of cigarettes, other factors may contribute to this addiction. Besides nicotine, tobacco contains thousands of other compounds among which there is a family of cyclic diterpenoids called cembranoids. Cyclic diterpenoids are also found in marine invertebrates, specifically Gorgonian species (soft corals).
Cembranoids are found in both tobacco leaves and flowers. Their content varies considerably with the tobacco species, constituting on the average about 1% (w/w) of green leaves. By comparison, nicotine content in cigarette tobacco is about 1-3%. The most abundant tobacco cembranoids are (1S,2E,4R,6R,7E,11E)-cembra-2,7,11-triene-4,6-diol (also termed 4R-cembratriene) and its diasteroisomer (1S,2E,4S,6R,7E,11E)-cembra-2,7,11-triene-4,6-diol (also termed 4S-cembratriene). Both of these compounds are shown in FIG. 1. These compounds are thought to be the precursors of most of the over seventy currently known tobacco cembranoids. Relatively few biological effects of tobacco cembranoids have been described. These few described biological effects include regulation of plant growth, inhibition of tumor growth, inhibition of aldose reductase and of prostaglandin synthesis.
According to another aspect of the invention, administering cembranoids to a living host reduces sensitization to nicotine.
According to further aspects of the invention, the living host is sensitized to nicotine by regular administration of nicotine to the living host. The cembranoids are administered after the regular administration of nicotine to the living host. The cembranoids may all be the same compound or may be a plurality of different compounds, including eunicin, eupalmerin acetate, 12,13-bisepieupalmerin, 4S-cembratriene and 4R-cembratriene.
According to one aspect of the invention, the cembranoids are administered in a dose of approximately six milligrams of cembranoid per kilogram of host.
According to another aspect of the invention, the cembranoid is administered in a dose of approximately, or that does not exceed, a milligram of cembranoid per kilogram of host.
According to still further aspects of the invention, the living host is a mammal.